


Runaway Year 2

by runawayface



Series: Runaway Farm [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Morning Sickness, Nausea, Pregnancy, pregnancy announcement
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29507682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runawayface/pseuds/runawayface
Summary: Harvey and May Higgins had a whirlwind year after they first met.  As May’s second year in Pelican Town begins, she is certain that this year will be just as eventful, if not moreso, as she and her husband navigate not only May’s pregnancy, but changes to the town dynamic.Note: This story heavily references events and storylines from my main story, Runaway, and it is probably required reading for this fic.
Relationships: Harvey (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Runaway Farm [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167563
Comments: 20
Kudos: 25





	1. Egg Festival

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a continuation of my first story, Runaway, and picks up where the last one left off. Turns out I'm not ready to say goodbye to Runaway yet. I knew I never wanted to write the entire second year in the amount of detail that I did with the first one (I am sooo not prepared to write another 300,000+ words) but I also feel like I kinda cheated myself (and you guys) out of moments from the second year that would have been nice to see. As a result, I'm going to tell the story of Year 2 through the festivals. I'm writing all 7 festivals (not Winter Star, because that was the epilogue of Runaway) to showcase what happens to May and Harvey during Year 2 and to document May's pregnancy. On that note, this fic primarily highlights May’s pregnancy and though I will attempt to handle it with grace and tact, it will not be sugar coated either. I realize it is a topic that can be squicky for some, so know now that this is a topic that will be heavily covered in this story, since it’s the main storyline of what’s happening with May and Harvey in Year 2. As always, thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through all of this and I hope you enjoy this glimpse into Runaway, Year 2.

**Spring 13, Year 2**

The first two weeks back to work on Runaway Farm were grueling, far more than May had anticipated. The year before, spring began quite slowly for May as she had only barely begun to acquaint herself with farm life. Now, however, the workload of spring started with a bang as May attempted her most ambitious season yet. After a dormant winter, she was eager to get back to work on the farm and to make the most of her spacious field to finally start turning a profit once again.

However, a year’s worth of experience, a clear field, and a sprinkler system were not the only differences this spring. This year, May was also working with one notable disadvantage that she certainly did not have to contend with the previous year. This spring, May was pregnant. Newly pregnant, of course, but it certainly proved to be quite a stumbling block. The first day of spring had been more demanding than May had anticipated, even with Harvey, Robin, and Demetrius on hand to help her. The soil needed to be completely re-tilled and the amount of crops that May had planned was perhaps a bit more ambitious than she should have attempted in her current state. May found herself needing a substantial amount of breaks that day after feeling light-headed and dizzy. By the time the work had been completed on the first day of spring, the sun had long since set and May, Harvey, Robin, and Demetrius were all beyond exhausted. It was a long, hard day’s work, but May was fortunate to have devoted friends and a caring husband to support her. Robin and Demetrius were still in the dark about May’s pregnancy. May wasn’t quite ready to break the news yet, even to her best friend.

For the remainder of the week, May tackled the farm work all on her own despite Harvey’s disapproval. It was much easier once the crops were already planted, there wasn’t much May could do but wait for them to grow. It was the only thing that gave Harvey peace of mind was knowing that at least she wasn’t doing the same amount of grueling work that they had done on the first day of spring. May assured Harvey that it would be much easier work and that she would go at a slow and steady pace. Her dizzy spells and light-headedness almost guaranteed it. The early days of her pregnancy were certainly taking a toll on her and she wasn’t sure if it was normal to be this nauseous and light-headed. Harvey assured her that this was a perfectly normal part of pregnancy, but it was making May miserable. She hoped that this would all pass very quickly and that she could return to a sense of normalcy, but May had a bad feeling that it would be quite some time, if ever, for a sense of normalcy to return.

On the morning of the Egg Festival, May could already tell that it was going to be another difficult day to get through. Before she even rose from bed, already her stomach churned and she had to jump out of bed as a wave of nausea hit her. Thankfully it passed just as quickly as it had arrived, but it was certainly a foreboding sign of the day to come.

The morning’s chores passed without incident and May was quick to take a shower and get dressed for the Egg Festival once her work was complete. They were already running late due to the increased workload on the farm and May had been slowed down a bit from the morning’s sickness.

“We don’t have to go,” Harvey pointed out as May opened the closet to get dressed.

“We should probably try to make an appearance,” May reasoned.

“Just consider what will happen if you get sick in the middle of the festival, you know the rumors will start flying,” Harvey warned her.

“Consider the rumors that will fly if we  _ don’t  _ attend,” May countered. “Either way, people are going to talk. That’s just how this town works. We’re better off if we attend but just try to take it easy.”

“Do you think you’ll be okay?” Harvey asked.

“I think I’ll be alright,” May replied, though she wasn’t entirely sure she believed herself. Harvey tilted his head skeptically, clearly he didn’t believe her either.

“As your doctor I-” Harvey began, but May quickly spoke up.

“As my doctor you should know that I’m certainly not the first pregnant woman in the world and I can handle going into town for a festival,” May cut in. “And as my husband you should know that I’m stubborn as all hell.”

“I certainly know that much,” Harvey chuckled in response. “But as my wife you should know that I’m paranoid as all hell.”

“And I certainly know  _ that  _ much,” May replied with a smirk. “I’ll be just fine, sweetheart.”

“If you insist,” Harvey sighed.

Within the hour, Harvey and May were both dressed, ready, and on their way into town in the golf cart for the festival. May’s stomach had still been too uneasy that morning and she had skipped breakfast completely, though she wasn’t sure she’d eat anything at the festival either. Egg-based foods didn’t exactly sound like the best option for her stomach.

Once they arrived at town square, May glanced at her watch to see that they weren’t as late as she had anticipated they would be. The festival had only started five minutes earlier, not too bad considering how much time was lost that morning. As soon as they stepped out of the golf cart, already many of the residents in town were waving to them and shouting words of welcome from across town square. May waved to Jodi who was standing near the center of town, chatting with Caroline. At Jodi’s side was her husband Kent, a man May had only met once almost two weeks prior. He had stopped by Runaway Farm on the first day of spring to introduce himself but May had yet to run into him again. He seemed very quiet and reserved, though May could understand why.

Before May or Harvey could even decide where to head to first, May heard a soft whistle to her right. When she looked over, she locked eyes with Maru who was attempting to get their attention in a covert way, though her whistles and wild arm gestures weren’t exactly subtle.

“Finally, I’ve been trying to flag you two down ever since the golf cart pulled into town,” Maru whispered. “Come here real quick, I gotta ask you both something.”

Maru crept over to a nearby tree and stood beside it, signalling for May and Harvey to join her. May glanced up at Harvey who merely shrugged. He seemed just as baffled as May.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Harvey asked curiously.

“Yeah, yeah, just wanted to check in with you guys,” Maru answered, still in a whisper. “You know how hard it is for me to keep secrets, I’ve been dying being around all these people and not being able to say anything.”

Poor Maru looked distressed, but May couldn’t help giggling. Besides May and Harvey, of course, as well as May’s parents, Maru was the only other person to know about the baby. It wasn’t intentional, Maru had caught sight of May’s positive result for her hCG test from the lab while at the clinic and Harvey swore the poor girl to secrecy. It was bad enough that Maru was notorious for being a bad secret keeper but it was even worse that she had to keep the secret from her own mother; May’s best friend.

“I’m sorry you’re once again in a position to keep our secrets,” May said apologetically. She recalled the summer before when poor Maru and Robin had to keep May and Harvey’s relationship a secret from the town.

“I totally understand you guys not wanting to announce anything yet, I don’t blame you,” Maru began shaking her head. “But Yoba, it’s been hard not saying anything to my mom. You really need to tell her soon.”

“I plan on it,” May replied with a nod. “I actually plan on telling her today after the festival. Harvey and I want to invite your parents over once the festival ends to hang out at the farmhouse for a bit. Of course you’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Absolutely!” Maru squealed excitedly. She very quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment, realizing just how loudly she had squealed. Maru lowered her voice to a whisper and continued speaking. “I wouldn’t want to miss my mom’s reaction, she’s gonna be ecstatic.”

“Well after today, at the very least you won’t have to hide it from her any longer,” May said kindly. “Thanks again for your discretion.”

“Any time,” Maru replied with a friendly wink. “This town is nuts, take as much time as you need before the madness.”

“Is it really gonna be that big a reaction?” Harvey asked uncertainly.

“Doc, the clinic was swamped with a bunch of busy-bodies asking you a million questions last year when they found out you and May were dating,” Maru said plainly. “You really don’t think an even bigger reaction will occur when they find out you two are expecting the first baby the town has seen since Vincent?”

“Ah, a very fair point,” Harvey replied as a bit of color drained from his face.

“Just brace yourselves, that’s all I’m saying,” Maru went on. “The instant that news breaks, it’s back in the spotlight for you two.”

“Odd how often we seem to be thrust into the spotlight,” Harvey groaned.

“Well that’s what you get when the lonely town doctor and the new farmer date, get married, and get pregnant in less than a year,” Maru teased. “It’s almost like you’re  _ begging  _ for the spotlight.”

Harvey opened his mouth to rebut, but stopped when he heard Robin’s voice from across town square.

“Kitten! Doctor Boyfriend! There you are!” Robin called out to them.

Both May and Harvey turned their heads to see Robin ending a conversation with Marnie as she strode across town square to meet them. Even though it was perfectly understandable for May and Harvey to be holding a conversation with Maru, she still felt incredibly guilty and her eyes shifted awkwardly back and forth as though she were caught in the middle of something scandalous.

“H-hey, Mom, we were just, uh… talking… about stuff,” Maru said nervously. “Clinic stuff.”

“I don’t care what you guys were talking about, I just wanted to come over and say hi,” Robin said dismissively. Maru sighed slightly in relief as Robin reached out and hugged May in welcome.

“You two sure got a sleepy start,” Robin commented with a smirk. “You always manage to be the last ones to show up.”

“I do still have a farm to run and chores to do,” May reminded her. “I still get up just as early as ever, but on festival days I have to fit an entire day’s worth of work into the morning and then get showered and dressed so that I don’t show up smelling like dirt.”

“Ah… yeah, I suppose that’ll do it,” Robin replied. “Then I suppose I should thank you for not showing up smelling like dirt. Hey, wanna go with me to the food table? I don’t know what Gus did differently this year, but the deviled eggs are incredible. Better stock up before they disappear, Alex has eaten at least an entire tray all on his own.”

Even the mention of deviled eggs made May’s stomach turn. Hard boiled eggs weren’t exactly known to have an appealing smell and May’s heightened sense of smell was not going to be merciful if she got anywhere near the food table. It would certainly be best to avoid it altogether.

“Oh, we ate breakfast before we got here,” May lied. “But don’t let that stop you from grabbing a plate and enjoying yourself.”   
“Suit yourself, but you’re really missing out on these deviled eggs,” Robin replied with a shrug.

The moment Robin left, Maru exhaled a long, shaky sigh. It seemed she had been holding her breath the entire time Robin was in their presence.

“Alright, I gotta get away from you two, being around you guys is making it a million times harder to keep my mouth shut,” Maru said jokingly. “Go mingle, or hide behind a bush together, just something away from me and my big fat mouth.”

Harvey and May chuckled as they bid Maru farewell and walked further into town square. Most of the villagers in town were already caught up in conversations with others and thankfully, since they had yet to break the news to the town, Harvey and May weren’t quite the center of attention that they had been for the second half of last year. Attention was finally beginning to fade from them as the town grew used to seeing them together.

Out of the corner of her eye, May spotted a very vibrant and colorful duo headed their way. Approaching May and Harvey was Emily, hand in hand with a beautiful woman with hot pink hair in a long, elegant ponytail. It was a noticeable yet stunning contrast to Emily’s very short, dark blue hair.

“May! Harvey! I’m glad you two made it!” Emily said excitedly. “I wanted to introduce you to my girlfriend Sandy.” Emily quickly turned to Sandy and addressed her. “This is the newlywed couple I was telling you about, May and Harvey. They just got married last fall.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet, I just love weddings,” Sandy replied excitedly. Her voice was high-pitched, higher than May had expected, yet it was also strangely melodic as though she were singing without even trying to.

For a moment May was slightly confused. She and Emily had never been very close before and the few times they’d ever spoken to each other were either in the saloon or during major events like town festivals or at May’s wedding. At first May couldn’t quite understand why Emily had sought her out just to tell her this until she noticed the look of absolute adoration that Emily wore on her face as she looked at Sandy. This was a woman in love, a woman who was proud to show off her partner, a woman who wanted to share her love with the world. Whether May and Emily were close friends or not, she couldn’t help but feel an electric excitement at this news.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Sandy!” May said happily. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around Pelican Town before, do you live nearby?”

“I live in Calico Desert,” Sandy answered, sighing in disappointment. “It gets really lonely out there without many visitors, but thank Yoba for Emily because she’s been keeping me sane. We’ve been writing back and forth to each other for almost a year and she’s come out to visit me a few times when she can. Now that the bus to town was just fixed, it’s a lot easier for us to see each other. That’s actually why I’m here, we finally have a reliable way to see each other more often.”

“That’s incredible, I’m so happy for you two!” May squealed excitedly. “That’s wonderful that you two were able to keep a relationship so long through your letters, I bet it’s a relief to be able to see each other more often.”

“Oh, for sure,” Emily agreed, nodding fervently.

“You’ll probably be seeing a lot more of me,” Sandy replied, smiling lovingly at Emily.

“Always happy to see new faces around town,” Harvey said politely. “We’re so happy to meet you, Sandy.”

“Likewise,” Sandy replied.

“Okay, sorry to bother you guys, I just wanted to introduce you since Sandy will be around town a bit more,” Emily explained. “But you two take care, enjoy the rest of the festival!”

“You as well!” May replied cheerfully, waving to the two of them as they walked away hand in hand.

“It’s so nice to see romance blossoming in this town,” May said with a smile. “First Elliot and Leah, now Emily’s got a lovely lady in her life.”

“For the longest time, everything in this town was just so stagnant,” Harvey replied thoughtfully. “In the six years I’ve lived here, nothing really happened. Everyone stayed almost exactly the same as they’d been when I moved here, with the exception of Vincent and Jas who were still toddlers. It’s funny that you show up and within a year, Pelican Town is unrecognizable. Everyone here seems more cheerful, more optimistic, more motivated. There seems to be a rebirth in this town causing the people living in it to strive for a better life than the one they’d been living. I’m not saying you’re the direct cause of all this change, but I certainly can’t deny that life around here didn’t start getting better until you showed up. And not just for me, it seems. You were the catalyst for a ripple effect that’s reached almost everyone in town and Pelican Town is much better for it.”

May was nearly in tears by the time Harvey was through speaking, blinking hard against the stinging feeling in the corners of her eyes and sniffing back an emotional sob.

“No fair, you’re not allowed to be that sweet to me,” May said playfully, still sniffing to subdue an emotional outburst. “My hormones are already all over the place, you’re lucky I didn’t burst into tears and make a scene.”

“Just an observation is all,” Harvey replied sweetly. “You made life better… for more people than you realize.”

Despite May’s valiant effort, a trickle of tears ran down one of her cheeks, though she quickly wiped it away with the palm of her hand. All things considered, it could have been a far worse display.

In the time until the egg hunt began, May and Harvey spent their time saying hello and chatting with a few residents in town. It was a far cry from the year before where Harvey was found hiding behind a hedge to distance himself from the rest of the crowd. Harvey was right, a lot  _ had  _ changed in the last year.

For the most part, May felt perfectly fine as they mingled until she met up with Shane who was holding a full plate of deviled eggs. Just as May had suspected, the pungent aroma of hard boiled eggs and mayonnaise was more than she could handle and she instantly felt nauseous. It was difficult to pay attention to Shane talking about the new calves at the ranch while May so suddenly felt sick to her stomach. In moments, she was positive that she couldn’t be around them for even a second longer. Rude as it was to leave, May was certain that it would be even more rude to be sick in front of Shane.

“I gotta run, talk to you later,” May blurted out quickly, interrupting Shane mid-sentence.

Both Shane and Harvey looked bewildered as May rushed across town square, tugging Harvey by the hand to drag him along with her. Harvey’s confused expression very quickly turned to one of concern, though he at least seemed to understand what was going on. He was already pulling the keys to the clinic out of his pocket as May strode across town square, holding her lips tightly together just in case. Harvey had barely opened the door to the clinic when May burst inside and ran straight for the patient restrooms. Poor Harvey couldn’t even keep up, by the time he had closed the door behind them and followed her, it was already over. At the very least May had made it to the patient restroom before being sick, that was  _ something _ .

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry that you’re going through this,” Harvey said compassionately, running his fingers gently through May’s hair.

“I just never thought it would be  _ this  _ bad,” May groaned. “You hear that this kind of thing happens in early pregnancy, but I just didn’t think it would be like this.”

“Everyone’s symptoms are different, as is the severity of them,” Harvey reminded her. “I know this isn’t exactly comforting, but this is all completely normal. With a bit of luck, it’ll pass soon and you’ll start feeling much better in a few weeks once you enter your second trimester.”

“I don’t know if I can deal with a few more weeks of this,” May sighed in defeat.

“I’m sorry,” Harvey repeated. Even he seemed defeated, there didn’t seem to be much more he could say to May that he hadn’t already said a dozen times. The look on Harvey’s face held nothing but the utmost sympathy for his wife.

It took May a few minutes to freshen herself up and prepare herself to rejoin the festival. She couldn’t imagine it would be a good thing to disappear into the clinic for too long, especially after how swiftly and unexpectedly she had rushed away from Shane. Thankfully Shane was not the type to gossip or speculate, but his aunt Marnie certainly was. By the time May felt ready to leave the clinic, she took hold of Harvey’s hand and gave it a soft, gentle squeeze.

“Feeling any better?” Harvey asked hopefully.

“A little,” May answered. “I’ll just be happy when this whole thing is over and we can just go back home. Now I know how you felt at all the town festivals, just waiting for the whole thing to be over.” Harvey couldn’t help himself and he chuckled at May’s sentiment.

When May and Harvey exited the clinic, May was relieved to see that no one had noticed them step out the door to rejoin the community. Of course there were plenty of valid excuses as to why she and Harvey needed to be in the clinic, but it was still preferable to not have to explain themselves at all. May’s eyes quickly scanned the crowd for Shane, hoping that he wasn’t too put off by her sudden and inexplicable departure. When she spotted him, he was crouched low to the ground, speaking to Jas. Jas looked mildly concerned about something and Shane appeared to be trying his best to comfort her, though he didn’t quite seem to know how. The closer May got to Shane, the better she could hear their conversation.

“I don’t know where she ran off to, kiddo, but I’m sure she’ll be back in time for the egg hunt,” Shane sighed, shrugging as though this were the best answer he could give. It was clearly not a good enough answer, as Jas looked quite displeased.

“But she can’t miss it!” Jas groaned. “I was hoping she would-”

Before Jas could finish her sentence, Shane had looked up and locked eyes with May. A look of relief washed over him and he stood upright as he gestured in May’s direction and interrupted Jas.

“There she is!” Shane sighed in relief, pointing directly at May. Jas turned quickly on the spot and her entire face lit up when she, too, saw May.

“Miss May!” Jas said excitedly. “Miss May, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I was hoping to find you before the egg hunt started. You  _ are  _ joining the egg hunt this year, right? I thought maybe we could work together like we did last year!”

The eager look on Jas’ face and excitement in her voice told May that there was only one answer this girl wanted to hear and it was an answer that May most definitely didn’t want to give. After her recent bout of nausea, May wasn’t entirely sure it was a good idea to go running around town square collecting eggs. And yet as May took a moment to contemplate her answer, she could see that her hesitance was causing Jas to look increasingly worried and disappointed. Yet worry was also present on Harvey’s face, he was making it quite clear with his own expression that he was very much opposed to May’s participation in the egg hunt. Shane, of course, looked just as desperate as Jas to hear confirmation from May that she would be participating, if only for Jas’ sake. It seemed impossible to come up with an answer that would satisfy everyone, but May at least got an idea for a way to try. It would involve a small lie which she would certainly feel guilty for, but she knew it wasn’t wise for her to sprint around town square looking for eggs, even if it was only for a minute. Telling a tiny white lie to Jas seemed better than disappointing her.

“I don’t know, I got in trouble last year after what happened,” May revealed with over-the-top uncertainty. Jas’ eyes widened.

“You did?!” Jas asked with wide eyes.

“I got spoken to after the event, apparently it didn’t go unnoticed that I gave you all my eggs,” May went on.

“I’m so sorry, Miss May!” Jas cried out, looking apologetic.

“Not your fault, Jas,” May quickly reassured her. “I just think it maybe wasn’t the best for me to help you out like I did, it spoiled the spirit of the competition. It wasn’t exactly fair to Vincent or any of the other participants.”

“Yeah, you might be right,” Jas said sadly. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. Do you think you’ll participate just for fun?”

“Probably not this year,” May answered, shaking her head. “Plus, look at it this way, with one less person playing that just means more eggs for you to find. You’ve got this, kiddo.”

“Thanks!” Jas giggled happily.

As Jas and Shane walked away from Harvey and May, Jas looked up to him with a grin and May overheard, “She called me ‘kiddo’ just like you do! I really like Farmer May, she’s nice.”

Once Shane and Jas were out of earshot, Harvey turned to May and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, looking upon her with admiration.

“Somehow you managed to make the best choice while still making everyone happy,” Harvey said in awe. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“I had to lie a little,” May admitted guiltily. “No one actually talked to me about it, but I figured a small fib was better than just telling her ‘no’ or trying to suck it up and participate when I really don’t feel like it.”

“You handled it admirably as always,” Harvey reassured her.

When it was time for the event to begin, Mayor Lewis’ voice boomed through town square calling everyone to the center to start the egg hunt. Unlike last year, Maru didn’t even attempt to ask May if she would be participating or not. Thankfully she knew better. It was the same people participating this year as there had been last year, minus May; Abigail, Sam, Maru, Vincent, and Jas. Everyone else seemed just as eager to watch from the sideline as they had the year before, there was no sudden and unexpected change of heart. Though May wasn’t participating this year, she couldn’t help but smile at the idea of Harvey joining her in the hunt the following year. An image flashed in May’s mind of Harvey cradling a tiny baby in his arms as he followed May around town square while she collected eggs on behalf of their son or daughter. Only a few, just enough to say that they participated, but it was exciting to think that they were only a year away from celebrating their child’s first Egg Festival. May was eager to experience  _ all  _ of their baby’s firsts with Harvey.

As soon as the buzzer sounded to begin the hunt, May watched as Jas took off with a renewed determination. For just a moment May locked eyes with Jas and May flashed her a quick wink for encouragement. Jas smiled and took off at a run, far more confident than she had been the year before. There had been many changes in town in the last year but May couldn’t help but notice that Jas seemed a bit more sure of herself than she had a year earlier. It was nice to see. When the buzzer sounded once more to end the hunt, May could tell that Jas didn’t have anywhere near as many eggs as Abigail, but at the very least she had a huge smile on her face. She’d done far better on her own this year than she had the year before.

“Would you just look at all these eggs!” Lewis exclaimed, glancing into the baskets of the participants. “I sure do wish you kids would clean up litter with this much enthusiasm, we’d be the cleanest town this side of the Gem Sea!”

Lewis chuckled heartily as the rest of the crowd groaned or rolled their eyes. May would have sworn she heard him make the same joke the previous year and guessed from the reactions of the crowd that it was a bad joke he made annually. After declaring Abigail the winner of the egg hunt, Lewis clapped his hands together to get the attention of the crowd one last time.

“And with that, our Egg Festival this year has reached its end!” Lewis announced.

Much like last year, the group surrounding Lewis immediately dispersed and everyone seemed eager to get back home. This certainly seemed like one of the least enjoyed festivals that the town had. While Sebastian followed Abigail and Sam in the direction of the river, Robin and Demetrius turned their backs to leave toward the mountain followed closely by Maru. May reached out a hand and tapped Robin on the shoulder.

“Do you guys have any plans for the rest of the day?” May asked once Robin turned to look at her.

“Not really,” Robin answered with a shrug. “With all those eggs I ate, I plan on passing out in a food coma. Why, did you have something in mind?”

“I just thought it might be nice if you head over to the farmhouse and we can maybe spend the afternoon together,” May replied as casually as she could. It was difficult to mask the importance of this request.

Robin quickly glanced back and forth between Demetrius and Maru who both nodded back at her. May couldn’t help but notice Maru glance over at Harvey and the moment they locked eyes together, she smirked slightly.

“Sure, why not,” Robin replied. “I’m definitely not looking forward to the long walk back home, I can put it off for a bit. It might even be better to rest for awhile and let my food settle before heading up the mountain.”

The Higgins’ golf cart could only seat two, three if everyone squeezed close together, but certainly not five. The Higgins’ and the Bennetts parted ways briefly as Harvey and May climbed into the golf cart to head back to the farmhouse, leaving the Bennetts to walk the distance there.

“I feel bad just leaving them there,” May commented as Harvey drove across the cobblestone path back to the farm.

“It sounds uncaring but I’m far more concerned about you getting a proper ride home, especially in your current condition,” Harvey pointed out. “But I’ll tell you what, once we get back home I’ll drop you off and turn back around. I can start shuttling them here one by one to at least make the trip shorter.”

“Thanks,” May replied sweetly. “I doubt they make a family-sized golf cart, but maybe we’ll need one.”

When they arrived home, May waved to Harvey as he turned around to start bringing the Bennetts back to the farmhouse. As she watched the golf cart go, she started to feel very nervous. Of course she had been feeling a bit queasy all morning, but she could tell that this was not a side effect of her pregnancy. Other than Harvey, this would be the first time that May would be announcing her pregnancy to someone face to face. She’d had a phone call with her parents to break the news but it seemed like a much more personal ordeal in person and especially with someone she was so close to. It was an odd sort of friendship May had with Robin, partly due to their large age gap. Most times Robin felt like her best friend where their difference in age was hardly noticed. Other times, May came to see Robin as a second mother, a woman with experience and wisdom that May sought whenever she needed motherly advice or even just a maternal stand-in. Though May’s relationship with her mother had improved, it was still difficult being so far away from her. There were times when having a mother’s love and support was needed from more than just a phone call and it was comforting to know that her best friend could fill that void. Especially now, May knew that she would need Robin’s guidance and support more than ever. It left May feeling nervous and excited to know that she would finally get to make such a monumental announcement to someone she cared about so much.

It took a few minutes, but eventually Harvey had shuttled Robin, Maru, and Demetrius over to the farmhouse and May had already setup chairs in the living room to make everyone comfortable. To ensure that May got a seat on the sofa, Harvey immediately sat down in one of the dining room chairs and gestured for Demetrius to take the dining room chair next to him. Maru, knowing what announcement was to come, sat on one end of the sofa to allow May and Robin to sit next to each other. May caught Maru lock eyes with Harvey and flash him a giddy smile and a subtle thumbs up. The nervous feeling in May’s stomach only intensified.

“I don’t know why I even bother going to this event every year,” Robin groaned, slouching against the back of the sofa. “I always eat too much and then I regret it. Not that it’s any different at other events, Gus certainly spoils this town with so much good food. But at least at other events there’s something to  _ do _ , this one’s just useless unless you’re a kid.”

“Hey, I participate every year!” Maru replied in mock offense.

“Exactly, and you’re  _ my  _ kid,” Robin explained with a smirk. “It’s just boring as hell to stand back every year and watch the same group of kids… and kid-like adults-” Robin added after Maru loudly cleared her throat, “-run around looking for eggs. Either we need a whole new springtime event or we need some fresh blood or something. It was cute watching Vincent and Jas when they were little, but it stopped being cute about a year or two ago.”

May locked eyes with Harvey and they both nodded very slowly and subtly. Neither of them had been exactly sure how or when they would break the news, but this seemed to be the perfect segue into their big reveal. It couldn’t have been more perfect if May had scripted it herself. May opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she found that she was starting to feel a wave of emotion overtake her. She hadn’t expected to feel this overwhelmed but now that the time was actually here, she feared for a moment that she might burst into tears before she could even say a word. Her hormones really were wreaking havoc on her. May nodded once more to Harvey, signalling him to start speaking. Maru sat upright and looked intensely at Harvey as he opened his mouth to speak.

"There's actually something May and I want to tell you guys," Harvey started off slowly. “We wanted to make sure that you hear this from us before the rest of the town knows.” Robin and Demetrius gave their full attention, meanwhile Maru broke out in a huge grin that she was trying very hard, and failing, to subdue. Harvey looked over at May and nodded, allowing her to take over so that she could announce the good news. As overcome with emotion as she was, she knew she could at least hold it together long enough to say-

"I'm pregnant!"

Robin immediately gave an excited shriek that was so loud, it actually caused May's ears to hurt for a moment. Meanwhile Demetrius gave Harvey a solid, congratulatory pat on the back as a wide, goofy grin spread across his face.

"A BABY!!!" Robin shouted as she reached over to give May a big hug, squeezing as tight as she could. She released May almost immediately and sat back with a look of mild fear.

“I didn’t squeeze too hard, did I?” Robin asked cautiously. May chuckled and shook her head.

“I’m pregnant, not made of glass,” May commented with a smirk. Robin immediately resumed hugging her friend, though a little less tightly this time.

"Congratulations, you two," Demetrius said, still smiling widely.

It was a few moments before Robin realized that Maru was being suspiciously quiet and not showing the same shock and amazement. Robin released May once more and turned her attention to Maru, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"You already knew, didn't you?!" Robin asked Maru, tilting her head in annoyance. Maru silently nodded as she flashed a cheeky grin.

“You little brat, you didn't say anything?!” Robin said with mock indignation.

“I wanted to  _ so bad _ , but I promised Harvey I wouldn't tell anyone,” Maru groaned.

“I'm your mother, I'm not just 'anyone’,” Robin said matter-of-factly.

“Harvey told me, and I quote, 'Don't tell anyone, especially not your mom and dad… because we secretly hate them’," Maru said seriously. This answer caused a few raised eyebrows until Maru burst out laughing.

"Kidding!" Maru replied quickly. "Well, kidding about the last part. He definitely said the first part."

"What gives, Doctor Boyfriend?" Robin asked, rounding on Harvey.

"May really wanted to be the one to tell you," Harvey answered honestly. “Plus, Maru wasn’t even supposed to find out, she only knew because I was just a bit too slow intercepting May’s lab results from the fax machine. We had every intention of telling you all when the time felt right.”

“Alright, alright,” Robin answered with a nod, turning her attention back to May. “I  _ guess  _ if it’s because you wanted to be the one to tell me then I can respect that. Now with that being said, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!”

Robin shrieked and wrapped her arms around May one more time, squeezing her tightly as she continued to squeal in excitement. May had been proud of how long she had been able to hold back her tears, but being able to share this news with someone and feel their support, share in their excitement, and actually see their joy was so overwhelming to May that she let out a soft, muffled sob. Tears streaked down her face but Robin only held her tighter, which only made May cry even harder. It was a peculiar cycle and May was sure that if she could see the others’ faces, they would be staring at the two of them as though they were crazy. Sure enough, when Robin finally released May, Maru was staring awkwardly at the ceiling while Demetrius and Harvey appeared to have started a conversation of their own to give May and Robin their moment.

“I’m so happy for you, Kitten,” Robin said sincerely.

“I’m sorry, my hormones are already going crazy,” May replied, attempting to sniff back her tears. “I didn’t mean to cry all over your shoulder.”

“You’re pregnant, you’re allowed to be as crazy as you wanna be,” Robin joked. “Trust me, this is only the beginning. Talk to me once you’ve burst into tears at 3 in the morning because you  _ have  _ to have a bowl of cereal  _ right now _ but you’re out of milk and the stores are closed. I wish that was a random example I pulled from thin air but I assure you it’s not.”

May laughed as Demetrius temporarily halted his conversation long enough to call out “It’s not!” and then seamlessly resumed speaking to Harvey.

“Let’s also not forget the time I almost left the house with no pants on,” Robin went on, chuckling. “I got all dressed, planned to leave the house to make a run to the store, and even stopped at the door to make sure I had my keys and purse. I had my hand on the doorknob and almost turned it to open the door before looking down and realizing I had no pants on. True story. Pregnancy brain is real, Kitten. It’s no myth, you  _ will  _ lose your mind.”

“Yesterday I attempted to feed the chickens three times,” May laughed. “I fed them in the morning and then twice afterwards went into the coop to feed them and wondered why there was already food there. Trust me, it’s already begun.”

“Pregnancy’s a wild ride, Kitten, this is only the beginning,” Robin remarked, smiling at May with a mix of pride and excitement.

“Don’t remind me,” May sighed.

The hour that passed was oddly soothing to May. It was nice to finally be able to open up about her pregnancy to someone other than Harvey, it still seemed to be a subject that brought him equal amounts of joy and anxiety. Feeling Robin’s excitement and sharing it with her was wonderful, it was great to hear her input and be able to vent to someone who understood. As much as Harvey understood the process academically, Robin understood from personal experience. While Maru, Harvey, and Demetrius had moved to the dining room to hold their own conversation on topics ranging anywhere from upgrading clinic equipment to Demetrius’ latest field work, it was calming for May to have an outlet to continually talk to someone about the largest, and only, thing going on in her life. She hadn’t realized how stifling it was to keep quiet on the subject until given the opportunity to talk openly about it. Robin proved incredibly helpful already in giving May some pointers on how to handle her nausea as well as some useful heads up for symptoms to look out for as she got further along. It was the sort of useful maternal guidance that May had been missing from her own mother and was relieved to find from Robin. By the time Robin and May had even the slightest lull in their conversation, Robin looked down at her watch and frowned.

“We should probably get going,” Robin sighed. “I’m not looking forward to that walk up the mountain but it’s gotta happen sooner or later. Might as well do it now before I get so comfortable on your couch I just spend the night and you end up with an impromptu sleepover.”

“Don’t tempt me with a good time,” May teased.

Robin groaned as she rose from the couch, signalling to Demetrius and Maru to wrap up their conversation. May was pleased to see that Harvey at least looked at ease, far more than he had all morning. It didn’t take much these days for Harvey to appear tense or anxious. While May appreciated having someone to talk to about her pregnancy, Harvey seemed to appreciate having people over to take his mind off of it. Having Robin and Demetrius over more often might prove beneficial for both of them to seek comfort and support from someone who has been in their position before. As the group approached the door together, Robin turned around and hugged May one last time, patting her supportively on the back.

“If you need  _ anything  _ at all, Kitten, you just let me know,” Robin said seriously once she had pulled away from their hug. “Your husband may be the doctor, but I’ve been through two pregnancies and I can give you whatever advice or guidance I can. I can guarantee you, there’s only so much a medical degree can help you with.”

Robin glanced apologetically to Harvey who nodded in response.

“I have a feeling I’ll be calling you constantly,” May admitted sheepishly.

“Any time, I mean that,” Robin replied. “I’m here for you, Kitten.”

“Thank you so much for that,” May sighed happily. “That really means so much to me, especially right now, and-”

May stopped speaking when she started to feel another swell of emotion and closed her lips tightly, attempting to hold back another emotional sob. Robin just smirked and nodded knowingly.

“Don’t work yourself up, Kitten, we’ve been friends long enough for me to know how you feel,” Robin said kindly. “Just let me know whatever you need. And Doctor Boyfriend, same goes to you. You need anything from us, you just let us know.” Demetrius was silent, but stood next to Robin and nodded in agreement. Maru didn’t even have to nod for Harvey to know that she was also fully supportive of him and his growing family.

“We were actually hoping that once the weather gets a little warmer, maybe at the start of summer, you could build a second story to the farmhouse for a nursery,” Harvey requested. Just hearing the word ‘nursery’ caused Robin to become giddy all over again.

“Absolutely!” Robin squealed in delight. “I’ll start drawing up the plans as soon as I get home.”

“You don’t have to rush-” May began, but Robin kept barrelling forward.

“When I’m through, that baby is gonna have the best damn nursery anyone has ever seen,” Robin went on passionately. “It’s been too long since I’ve built a nursery and although I was  _ hoping  _ to build one for my grandchildren-” Robin glanced sideways at Maru, “-it’s just as rewarding to build one for you two. Not quite a grandbaby, but just as special.”

“I guess we’ll have to name you Honorary Grandma,” May replied sweetly.

This time it was Robin’s turn to get choked up with emotion. The moment May uttered the word ‘grandma’ Robin inhaled sharply and clutched her chest as though she’d had the wind knocked out of her. Clearly she hadn’t expected May to grant her a title of such honor and May knew that it was a title Robin would not take lightly. With Harvey having no parents of his own and May’s parents living so far away, Robin may very well be the closest person to a grandma for their baby than anyone else.

“Oh, you know  _ just  _ how to push all my buttons, don’t you, Kitten,” Robin teased, wiping stray tears away on the backs of her hands. “Honorary Grandma… I’ll take it.”

There was a flurry of hugs, handshakes, and ‘congratulations’ as the Bennetts and Higgins’ said their goodbyes, with Robin returning to hug May three times before finally tearing herself away to leave. Demetrius and Harvey shared a slightly-too-long handshake as Demetrius fumbled through an excited and endearingly fatherly speech about how rewarding fatherhood is and how Harvey is welcome to ask any and all questions he might have about fatherhood. When the Bennetts finally exited the farmhouse, May closed the door behind them and took a long, deep breath.

“I don’t know why I’m still so nervous,” May said shakily. “I thought telling Robin would feel like a weight off my shoulders. And I guess it does, to a point, but not as calming as I had hoped. I still feel so anxious.”

Harvey smiled warmly at May and wrapped an arm supportively around her shoulders as he led her to the sofa to sit down.

“Telling Robin was the easy part,” Harvey began gently. “Now it’s everyone else we have to worry about.”

May’s eyes widened as she sat down with Harvey, leaning against his chest to snuggle close to him for comfort. She had spent so long psyching herself up to tell Robin, she didn’t even want to think about how the rest of the town would take the news that a new baby was on the way.


	2. Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and Harvey are nervous to announce their big news to the residents of Pelican Town. Luckily, they are not the only ones in town with big news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this one a bit early because I'm impatient! It's been done for a few days now and I decided to throw my arbitrary posting schedule out the window. This one's gonna be early, others might be late, it is what it is. I can't maintain a regular posting schedule like I used to so I probably won't try. And actually even the NEXT chapter after this is mostly ready but I'll probably put off editing because editing is literally the worst.

**Spring 24, Year 2**

Tears welled up in the corners of May’s eyes as she looked at her reflection. Last year, her Flower Dance dress had fit her perfectly. It hugged every curve and showed off her slender, petite figure. This year, however, the fabric of the dress was pulled so tightly around her midsection that she had barely been able to close the zipper. It was possible, but it was a tight squeeze.

As May’s pregnancy belly finally started to show, she had been wearing looser clothing around town to remain discreet. She and Harvey had not yet been ready to announce the pregnancy to the town until she was a bit further along but now, as she approached the start of her second trimester, they were finally ready to break the news. A town event seemed as good a time as any, at least everyone would be gathered together to hear the news all at once. And yet as May surveyed her reflection in the mirror, staring at her midsection with a quivering lip, she was wondering if it was too late to just announce it on the bulletin board like they had for their engagement. The thought of showcasing her growing belly to the town was suddenly mortifying.

“Honey, what’s the matter?!” Harvey asked, rushing to her side when he noticed her tears. Of course he looked handsome in his light blue suit. In a cruel twist of fate, his suit seemed to fit him far better this year than it had the year before and made him look slimmer.

“It’s nothing,” May replied, but the crack in her voice gave her away as she fought to subdue her tears. Harvey tilted his head in concern and May sniffled as she tried once more to halt her crying. “I just… I look so fat in this dress.”

A small sob escaped that May could no longer hold back. The tears that had threatened to fall from her eyes were now streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, honey,” Harvey sighed gently, rushing to May’s side. His arms enveloped her immediately and May rested her head delicately against Harvey’s shoulder.

“I look so ridiculous, I don’t even know if I want to go anymore,” May uttered quietly.

“Honey, you’re pregnant, there’s nothing wrong with that at all,” Harvey replied soothingly. “You’re not fat, you don’t look ridiculous, you look radiant.” May simply scoffed at his answer.

“I mean it,” Harvey continued, his tone becoming serious. He stepped back to take a better look at May and smiled sweetly back at her. “You look perfect to me.”

The way Harvey was looking at her made May instantly feel better. There was a reverence in his gaze and a sincerity in his voice that told May that he meant every word. The dress that had moments earlier felt ill-fitting and awkward now suddenly felt comfortable and cute. Leave it to Harvey to instantly make May feel better about herself, he was always exceptionally skilled at that. May flashed Harvey an appreciative smile and twirled in her dress, giggling slightly at the way Harvey stared in awe. By the time she completed her twirl, she noticed a soft pink flush in Harvey’s cheeks.

“What’s got you all flustered?” May teased.

"I just never thought I'd see the day where I'd be escorting a beautiful lady to the Flower Dance," Harvey said, beaming at his wife with a lovestruck expression. "Not that Maru isn't beautiful, of course," he added with an awkward chuckle.

"I'm just glad you agreed to dance with me this time, after last year I was afraid you'd turn me down again," May teased.

"I'm never going to live that one down," Harvey sighed, hanging his head slightly.

“Never,” May replied, placing a gentle kiss on the tip of Harvey’s nose.

“Well if we hope to be on time, we should probably get going,” Harvey remarked, glancing at his watch. “We always seem to be the last ones to arrive, but I suppose in this case that’s not terrible. Considering what we’re announcing, I’d hate to live through an announcement like that more than once.”

“Once will be bad enough,” May agreed. “Hopefully once the chaos is over we can at least enjoy the dance together.”

“ _ ‘Enjoy _ and  _ dance  _ aren’t often two words I put together in the same sentence,” Harvey teased. “But I have a feeling this year will be quite a different experience than any Flower Dance I’ve ever had. Who knows, maybe this one won’t be my least favorite event anymore.”

The drive through Cindersnap Forest was bumpier than expected, May and Harvey had never driven the golf cart this deep into the forest before. Yet Harvey insisted on taking the golf cart to prevent May from walking such a long distance in heels and in this instance, May fully agreed. She recalled the year before and the long, tiring walk back home at the end of the event. By the time they arrived at the festival, they could already hear music playing and hear the chatter of their friends and neighbors.

The first person Harvey and May encountered when they stepped into the forest clearing was Pierre, which was unsurprising. Last year he’d had a booth setup with souvenirs and this year was no different. Pierre’s booth was ladened with seasonal decor and bouquets of flowers. May walked quickly by the booth, waving courteously to Pierre as she went past. Just as she passed by, May caught Pierre tilt his head sideways and his eyebrows knitted together, but he didn’t seem to quite process what looked different about May before she and Harvey had already gone.

The next person May encountered as they stepped further into the open field was Emily. She was standing with her girlfriend Sandy, smiling lovingly as Sandy picked a stray flower petal from Emily’s shoulder that had fallen from the daisies placed in her hair. Both women were wearing beautiful dresses, it was clear Emily had gone all-out to make dresses for their first Flower Dance together. When May passed, she gave Emily and Sandy the same friendly wave she had given Pierre. Unlike Pierre, however, Emily’s eyes widened slightly and she seemed to notice right away just what was different about May.

“Farmer May, Doctor Harvey!” Emily greeted them kindly as she rushed forward. When she approached them, she lowered her voice to nearly a whisper and looked back and forth between them with a giddy excitement. “I hope I’m not prying but… May, are you… are you… expecting?”

May leaned in close and very discreetly nodded her head as a wide smile spread across her face. She should have known that if anyone was going to recognize it right away, it would be Emily. Emily had been the one to take her measurements and make her dress the year earlier, of course she would recognize that it wasn’t fitting quite the way it should. Sandy approached Emily from behind and waved to Harvey and May, unaware of what Emily had just been told. Yet Sandy hardly needed to be told what happened, Emily’s eyes widened and she let out a very high-pitched squeal that rang painfully in May’s ears. And yet it wasn’t just May’s ears that the squeal echoed in, it had also traveled across the field and drew the attention of a few nearby villagers. May looked up and noticed Caroline, Jodi, and Marnie all turn their heads toward the source of the sound. Robin was near them and had also looked, her expression became nervous when she spotted May and Harvey. Clearly she knew what the squeal was about and was bracing herself for a town-wide reaction.

“Oh my word, that is  _ fantastic  _ news!” Emily shrieked, clapping her hands wildly in front of her as she danced on the tips of her toes. Sandy appeared confused until she took a second look at May and smiled knowingly as she put two and two together. Emily’s expression suddenly fell and she lost a bit of color in her cheeks as she stopped clapping. “Oh no, is this supposed to be a secret? Were you not ready to tell anyone yet?”

“Well, we planned on telling everyone today,” May assured her. “It’s not exactly easy to hide in a dress this tight. Don’t worry about it, this was always the plan.”

By the time May finished reassuring Emily, the trio of town gossipers had already arrived to greet Harvey and May, curious to see what the source of Emily’s shriek was. Robin wasn’t far behind, cringing already as she nodded sympathetically at May.

“Welcome, May! Welcome Har-” Jodi began kindly until Emily shifted out of the way and Jodi trailed off once she had a full view of May.

“H-hi, everyone,” May greeted them awkwardly as all three women stood frozen in place, staring at May’s midsection.

“So, uh… I guess now’s as good a time as any to announce… we’re having a baby,” May went on uncomfortably. The silence and the staring had become unnerving.

Right away, Jodi shrieked in almost the same way Emily had while Marnie shamelessly burst into tears. Caroline simply looked shocked, her mouth agape. For one of the few times May could ever remember, the woman was speechless.

“May’s pregnant!” Jodi squealed happily.

“There’s gonna be a new baby in town!” Marnie sobbed, wiping her tears on the backs of her hand in vain, her stream of tears was still going strong.

“Oh, is everyone finding out what I’ve already known for weeks now?” Robin asked sarcastically, unable to wipe the smug grin from her face.

“Finding out what?” Leah asked as she approached the small group that formed. Leah certainly wasn’t the only one.

It was the most bizarre version of the telephone game May had ever seen. She watched as villagers approached to find out what the fuss was all about and could pinpoint the exact moment when each of them heard the news. The facial expressions were all relatively similar; a raised, curious eyebrow at first, an excited whisper from their neighbor, all followed by either a whoop of celebration, a squeal of excitement, or a look of shock. May nearly melted into a puddle at the sight of Evelyn bursting into tears much like Marnie had, though for Evelyn it was quite uncommon to see her cry.

Very slowly, Harvey and May attempted to make their way further into the forest clearing, but it was nearly impossible with how many people were swarmed around them. It was safe to say that everyone in town had made it over to them and there were so many people talking at once, it was very overwhelming. May’s heart swelled with emotion as she watched her friends and neighbors sharing in their excitement. It was a big deal for the town, it would be the first new baby since Vincent was born over seven years ago and May could see just what an exciting thing this was for everyone.

“I can’t believe you guys are having a baby!” Leah said excitedly.

“Congrats, Doctor H!” Gus said, slapping Harvey on the back perhaps a little harder than he meant to.

“When are you due?” Penny asked cheerfully.

“How long have you known?” Haley asked curiously.

“Okay, everyone, calm down!” Robin shouted over the roar of the crowd, standing in front of May and Harvey. “Let’s give them some breathing room, alright? I’m sure they’ll answer questions when they’re good and ready, just let ‘em actually enjoy their time at their first Flower Dance together!”

The din of the crowd died down a little, but there was still a murmur of excitement as the crowd parted for May and Harvey to pass through. It was strange to feel so many eyes upon her, May hadn’t felt so on display since her wedding. When she looked up at Harvey, he simply looked dazed and a bit pale, also not unlike the wedding.

“You okay?” May asked Harvey as they broke through the crowd. For a moment May wasn’t sure if he might pass out.

“I’m sorry, in your current state I feel I should be asking  _ you  _ that,” Harvey muttered apologetically.

“Sweetheart, I’m fine,” May chuckled dismissively. “I haven’t felt nauseous in over a week and I’m finally starting to feel better. Now it’s  _ my  _ turn to worry about  _ you _ .”

“I-I’ll be fine,” Harvey said quietly, though May noticed his eyes travel to the large crowd that was still formed near the entrance, watching the faces of the villagers alive with excitement as they spoke openly amongst themselves about May, Harvey, and the new baby on the way.

“Come on, let’s go grab something to eat,” May suggested, taking Harvey by the hand to lead him to the food table. “Look on the plus side, with everyone all gathered together, there’s no line for food!”

Harvey chuckled and followed May across the field to the completely deserted food table. For the first time in a season, May’s appetite was finally starting to return.

Together May and Harvey watched the crowd slowly disperse while they ate, quietly observing as the rest of the town resumed their regular activities at the Flower Dance. It was sweet to watch the younger crowd slowly couple off as they made their choices for the dance. It reminded May of the previous year when she had worked up the courage to ask Harvey to dance, only to be rejected. It had hurt May to endure that rejection and at the time, she had been positive that nothing would ever come of a relationship with Harvey after that. If she had only known a year later they would show up to the dance as husband and wife, announcing to the town that they were expecting a baby. It was funny how different the two years were and how much had happened in-between.

May was appreciative that everyone in town appeared to be giving her and Harvey their space, but it was very short-lived. She couldn’t help but notice the sideways glances, not-so-subtle whispers, and excited smiles they were receiving from all around. No sooner had May finished her plate of food than Marnie, Jodi, and Caroline all split off from the crowd and headed her way. They were clearly through waiting.

“Congratulations, you two!” Caroline began, throwing her arms around May in a tight hug.

“A new baby in town, I can’t believe it,” Jodi remarked, squealing in excitement.

“So when is the baby due?” Marnie asked curiously. Jodi and Caroline perked up instantly, it was obvious that this was the part they were most eager for; information.

“Mid-fall,” Harvey answered.

“Oh wow, so you’ve known for quite some time, then,” Jodi remarked, scrunching up her face in thought as she did the math.

“We’ve known since Winter Star,” May admitted sheepishly. The three women all looked harassed by the very idea that May and Harvey had not said something right away.

“So are you nervous? Excited? Scared?” Caroline asked in quick succession. May turned to Harvey and locked eyes with him for a moment, though he merely shrugged and stayed quiet. Feeding the gossip mill wasn’t exactly what he wanted to do.

“All three, I guess,” May answered honestly. It seemed like a bit of an obvious answer, but it was the truth. May couldn’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be a mixture of all three.

“And how have you been feeling?” Jodi asked, an endearing concern in her voice.

“I was pretty sick in the beginning, but that’s finally starting to go away,” May answered, sighing in relief. “The last few days I finally feel like I can eat again without getting sick, so it’s been a nice change.”

“Any weird cravings yet?” Jodi went on. “When I was pregnant with Sam, I only wanted sugary foods. I gained 40 pounds, all I wanted was donuts. I guess that’s why he loves maple bars so much, there’s an old wives tale that whatever you’re craving becomes your child’s favorite food.”

“No cravings yet,” May said thoughtfully. “I’m sure that’ll come later, but for now I’m just glad to be eating again without getting sick.”

“I’m sure it’s too early, but any idea on the baby’s gender?” Marnie asked. “I always forget when that kinda thing is figured out.”

“Not yet,” Harvey answered, finally speaking up now that the topic had turned to a more medical question. “Hopefully we should know some time in the first half of summer.”

“What are you  _ hoping _ for?” Caroline asked.

“As long as the baby is healthy, it doesn’t matter to me,” May answered honestly. “Boy or girl, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Oh, c’mon, you don’t have to give the political answer,” Caroline went on, smirking deviously. “We  _ all _ have a preference. I wanted Abi to be a girl, but Pierre wanted a boy so badly. He cried when we found out we were having a girl, he asked the poor doctor to check every appointment afterwards in case there was a mistake.”

“Kent wanted one boy and one girl while I wanted two girls,” Jodi piped in. “I guess neither of us got what we wanted, but we still love our boys so much. I can’t imagine it any different now.”

“Well I assure you I have no preference,” May repeated, starting to get annoyed by the line of questioning.

“Are you going to deliver here at the clinic, or are you going to St. Lucia’s in Grampleton?” Jodi asked. “I think that’s the nearest hospital.”

“Here,” May answered, though her answer seemed to make Marnie, Jodi, and Caroline uneasy.

“I bet that’ll be tough for you, Harvey, delivering your own baby,” Marnie finally said, addressing Harvey uncertainly. “Have you ever delivered a baby before?”

“Every med student has a rotation in each department of the hospital,” Harvey explained. “I spent a six week rotation in L&D at Zuzu City General Hospital. I delivered 21 babies in my time there.”

“That must have been quite some time ago,” Jodi remarked nervously.

“I’ve already been working with the hospital in Zuzu City for updated training and experience opportunities,” Harvey went on. “As this town’s only doctor, I take my duties seriously to expand my knowledge and experience to fit the needs of the community. I always knew I’d need to deliver the babies in town as our community grows, but I’ll be honest it adds a bit of pressure that mine will be the first.”

“Well it happened so quickly,” Caroline remarked. “You two barely got married and now there’s already a baby on the way. Be honest, was this planned or was this an oopsie baby?”

May was starting to feel uncomfortable by how personal the questions were becoming. It was one thing to be curious and have questions, but this seemed to be going into territory that really wasn’t any of their business. May glanced over to Harvey whose face instantly flushed and the calm, cool demeanor he had while speaking about the medical side of things vanished as he became visibly flustered.

There was never a time in May’s life when she was more thankful to hear Mayor Lewis’ voice echoing through the field, calling for attention. They were saved from such an uncomfortable question as Mayor Lewis called out to the town residents.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Lewis called out, a dramatic flourish in his voice. “Please gather to the center of the field, we are moments away from beginning our annual Flower Dance.”

“And don’t forget announcing the Flower Queen!” Haley chimed in excitedly.

“Ah, yes, to be followed by the crowning of this year’s Flower Queen,” Lewis added half-heartedly. “May I ask all eligible bachelors and bachelorettes to join me for our first dance to kick off the event!”

As a few of the town’s residents headed for the dance floor, May could feel someone approach her from the side and give her a soft nudge. She looked over and saw Robin, glancing back and forth from May, to the dance floor, and back.

“Get out there!” Robin said, gesturing toward the dance floor.

“I thought this was just for singles,” May replied, glancing out at the group in the middle of the field. Sure enough, the only couples on the dance floor were Sebastian and Abigail, Alex and Haley, and Sam and Penny. Elliott and Leah were standing off to the side not too far from Emily and Sandy while Shane was far off by the food table, almost unaware that the dance was even taking place. Maru was on Robin’s other side, though she seemed completely unbothered by the fact that she wasn’t dancing this year due to the fact that her usual dance partner was Harvey. If anything, she looked relieved. When May really looked, both Elliott and Leah as well as Emily and Sandy appeared unsure as to whether they should join the dance or not. It was odd having only three couples on the dance floor, yet tradition dictated that the dance was for eligible bachelors and bachelorettes only.

“Oh, who cares?!” Robin said, rolling her eyes. “With you two, Elliott and Leah, plus Emily and Sandy out of the equation, there’s hardly any eligible ones left anymore! If the whole point of this dance is to get the singles to hook up, then in theory doesn’t it make itself irrelevant by design? Besides, you never got a proper Flower Dance last year, Kitten, you’ve earned this.”

May could see Harvey hang his head slightly at this, looking suddenly uncomfortable. Surely he was still blaming himself for turning May down the year before in his attempt at staying loyal to Maru.

“What do you think, sweetheart?” May asked, turning to Harvey. “Are you ready to dance?”

“I’ve been looking forward to it all afternoon,” Harvey replied sweetly, holding out his arm for May. “You look radiant in the fresh spring air, my love.”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me radiant today,” May replied, giggling at Harvey’s over-the-top chivalry and flowery, though sweet, tone.

“Well it’s true,” Harvey replied affectionately.

As May and Harvey left the larger group to step onto the dance floor, Mayor Lewis opened his mouth to speak, looking harassed. He seemed the type to strictly uphold the traditions of the town and the fact that a married couple was joining the opening dance seemed something he was unwilling to allow. Yet before he could speak, Elliott and Leah stepped forward as well, almost as a show of solidarity with Harvey and May. They were very closely followed by Sandy and Emily, who seemed giddy with excitement to share in their first dance. Lewis’ mouth remained open, but this time in awe as Robin and Demetrius, Jodi and Kent, and Caroline and Pierre all stepped out onto the dance floor as well. Evelyn even stepped behind George’s wheelchair to wheel him away from the viewing area and onto the field with the other dancers. Evelyn rested a hand lovingly on George’s shoulder, pursing her lips at Mayor Lewis as though daring him to say a word. Lewis faltered for a moment at the sight of the dance floor filled with couples, both married and new, and sighed in defeat.

“It seems we’re taking a break from tradition this year,” Lewis began quietly. “The first dance to kick off our Flower Dance shall include… anyone that wants to!”

Lewis attempted a bright, jovial smile to save face but the defiant looks from the couples on the dance floor were a sure enough sign that they weren’t buying his sudden change of mind. Very quickly, Lewis crossed the field to start the music and at least take the spotlight off of himself. A wise move in his position.

Once the first note of the classical music rang through the field, the couples all spaced out to begin dancing. It was sweet to see the community come together in the name of breaking tradition for the sake of inclusion. It seemed archaic to place arbitrary rules on the first dance, especially to see how much everyone around them enjoyed the opportunity to kick off the festivities. The younger, eligible bachelors and bachelorettes all looked a bit more relieved that the spotlight would not be on them and the older, married couples looked overjoyed to experience the thrill of the first dance all over again. Jodi seemed positively giddy to be able to dance with her husband, newly home from his tour overseas. As for May, she was thrilled to finally be able to participate in the Flower Dance with her husband.

Neither she nor Harvey were the best dancers, but that didn’t matter to May. All they really did was sway back and forth in each other’s arms, but it was still such a satisfying and intimate experience to share with Harvey. May thought back to the year before and how far they had come. This time last year, May had been watching Harvey dance with Maru, filled with jealousy and longing. The feelings that she had harbored for Harvey were certainly not reciprocated, or so she’d thought, and she left the dance feeling certain that nothing would ever come of her crush on the lonely town doctor.

As the song came to a close, Harvey very carefully dipped May, catching her by surprise. Harvey held her tightly, keeping her steady as he looked lovingly into her eyes. While she was dipped he gave her a gentle, tender kiss before lifting her upright again.

"So that's what a Flower Dance is like," May said, looking up into Harvey's face and giving him a cheeky grin.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to find out last year," Harvey said, looking truly apologetic.

May smiled and gave Harvey a soft peck on the cheek before reassuring him, “It’s better this way.” Whether consciously or not, Harvey rested a hand atop May’s growing belly and nodded in agreement.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mayor Lewis called out to the crowd. "If you'll all please gather, I think it's time to crown our Flower Queen!"

The town gathered together in the middle of the clearing, Haley practically elbowing her way to the front of the crowd to be close to Lewis with the expectation of continuing her reign. May slowly made her way to join the crowd with Harvey wrapping his arm around her for support. Though it wasn’t a very long dance, May was finding it more difficult to be on her feet for long periods of time. By the time she and Harvey joined the rest of the town, they were positioned near the back of the crowd.

Mayor Lewis held up a beautifully crafted floral crown and called out to the crowd. "For this year's Flower Dance, I am proud to announce that our Flower Queen this year is... May!"

The town immediately burst into applause as murmurs began to explode throughout the crowd. It took May a moment to process what she’d heard Mayor Lewis say, it wasn’t until the eyes of those around her all darted in her direction that she realized she’d heard Lewis correctly. As May slowly made her way to Mayor Lewis, she could hear Haley bitterly say, "She was only made Flower Queen because she's pregnant." Whether or not that was true or whether it was because of her and Harvey inadvertently rallying the town to break Flower Dance tradition, May felt strangely honored to receive the title of Flower Queen, despite knowing that it was only a made-up title for Haley’s benefit six years earlier.

“Wow, thank you so much, Mayor!” May said excitedly, bowing her head for Mayor Lewis to place the crown atop her head.

The crowd was still cheering loudly for May, nearly bringing her to tears. All except Haley, of course, whose arms were folded across her chest as she wore a scowl. While May made her way back through the crowd to return to Harvey, Mayor Lewis addressed the town once more.

“Ordinarily this would be the part where we open up the dance floor to  _ all _ ,” Mayor Lewis began awkwardly, “but seeing as we’ve already done so, I guess let me just say-”

Before Lewis could say whatever it was that needed saying, a loud, rumbling sound came from one of the villagers in the town. Elliott had cleared his throat loudly to capture the attention of the crowd around him, including Leah who looked perplexed. All eyes left Lewis and darted to Elliott, watching him curiously as he waited until he had the attention of the entire crowd. Once all eyes were on him, he cleared his throat once more and turned to Leah.

“Leah, my love, my light, my muse,” Elliott began overdramatically. “I stand before you a man burdened by love; burdened by unrest whenever we are apart, burdened by my thoughts when all my idle mind can conjure is thoughts of you, burdened by the ache of my heart so full of love that it consumes me. You have captured me; body, mind, and soul, and I capitulate to you and the power you hold over me. I am yours, dear Leah, forever and always.”

Elliott knelt down on one knee, reaching into his coat pocket to extract what was pretty well expected by everyone surrounding him; a small white jewelry box containing a beautiful Mermaid Pendant. The entire time Elliott was speaking, Leah had covered her mouth in shock and a red tinge was visible behind her fingers from the flushing of her cheeks. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes and by the time Elliott finished speaking, Leah’s whole face was flushed pink and her shoulders were shaking to hold back her tears.

“Leah, will you do me the honor, the privilege, the-” Elliott went on in his same over-the-top dramatic voice, though before he could even finish he was interrupted by a very impatient and excited Leah.

“YES!” Leah squealed, unable to stop herself from blurting out her response before Elliott could even ask the question.

Elliott had still been down on one knee for his proposal, but Leah grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him upright, kissing him deeply. The crowd surrounding Elliott and Leah burst into celebration as cheers, whistles, and applause broke out among the villagers. For what was the second time so far today, Marnie burst into tears and sobbed shamelessly as she clapped for Elliott and Leah. Marnie always seemed to get very emotional whenever there was good news in town and today, there was plenty. Already Elliott and Leah were being swarmed by eager residents all wishing congratulations and celebrating before Elliott could even place the pendant around Leah’s neck.

“W-what a tremendous day for Pelican Town!” Mayor Lewis remarked happily, beaming at Elliott and Leah. “First we find out that a baby is due to join our little community for the first time in seven years, and now two more of our own are engaged to be married. What an outstanding festival this turned out to be!”

The crowd cheered once more as Mayor Lewis retreated and started up the music to play for the dance to continue. Though a few couples broke off to dance, the majority of the crowd gathered around Elliott and Leah to offer congratulations and ask questions. It was actually quite a relief that no one was approaching May or Harvey any longer now that there was a new couple in the spotlight. Before anyone could pay them notice, Harvey and May split from the crowd and found a bench near the river to sit down on.

“I’m so happy for Elliott and Leah!” May squealed excitedly once they were seated. “This is so exciting!”

“I suspected this might happen, but I’ll admit I didn’t expect such a public proposal,” Harvey remarked. “Then again I suppose Elliott does have a flair for the dramatics and the idea of a public proposal in the middle of the Flower Dance seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. He’s been asking me a lot about marriage and proposing during book clubs. He never outright said that he wanted to propose, but it seemed obvious.”

“It’s sweet that he felt he could come to you for that sort of thing,” May pointed out.

“Never thought I’d see the day  _ I’d  _ be the one to come to for advice on marriage and proposals,” Harvey chuckled. “Life’s funny that way. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be here at the Flower Dance with my wife, I’d have thought I was the victim of an elaborate prank. And being here with my wife is one thing, but now you’re the Flower Queen no less.” Harvey smirked in amusement, wrapping an arm affectionately around May’s shoulders.

“Take that, Theresa DeMayo,” May said jokingly. Harvey raised a curious eyebrow. “She was crowned Prom Queen in my senior year, all the boys worshipped her and I was so jealous. Only took me 17 years to be crowned queen at a dance, but better late than never.”

“I’m sure you’re far lovelier than Theresa DeMayo,” Harvey replied sweetly. “But perhaps I’m being biased.”

“I heard she’s had four divorces in ten years, so I’m probably way better off, too,” May said smugly, feeling only the slightest bit guilty at the petty satisfaction she felt.

Out of the corner of her eye, May spotted Robin and Maru crossing the field towards the benches where she and Harvey sat. Maru looked quite content, however Robin looked annoyed as she stomped up to May and plopped down on the bench next to her with an irritated sigh.

“What’s got you upset?” May asked in concern.

“Well I had been  _ hoping  _ to dance with my husband, but he decided to get into the world’s most boring conversation with Willy about the ocean’s ecosystem or some bullshit so I guess I’ve been stood up in the name of science,” Robin vented.

“Sorry to hear it,” May replied sympathetically.

“Why aren’t  _ you  _ dancing?” Robin asked, her annoyed expression fading into a look of curiosity. “This is your first Flower Dance together, you should be living it up on the dance floor!”

“Neither of us are exactly big on dancing,” May replied with a shrug. “Plus, with so much attention already on us today, it’s nice to fly under the radar at the moment.”

May tossed her head in the direction of Elliott and Leah who were currently surrounded by Caroline, Jodi, and Marnie. It was no surprise that the gossip girls had moved on to their latest target. Pierre and Kent stood off to the side, idly chatting with each other while their wives nearly interrogated Elliott and Leah. Unlike Harvey who always dreaded the attention that came along with big news, Elliott seemed to be flourishing in the spotlight and delighted in talking to others about his engagement.

“Yeah, that was pretty fortunate timing,” Robin remarked with a smirk. “It took the heat off of you guys, which I’m sure is greatly appreciated.”

“I’ll have to thank him for it later,” Harvey joked, breathing a subtle sigh of relief. “And of course congratulate him later as well. Maybe when the crowd disperses a bit, I want to give them their moment.”

“And avoid getting the spotlight again,” Maru teased. “It’s like a game of hot potato, who will get the spotlight next?”

“They can have it,” May replied. “We’ve had enough of the spotlight for the time being. It’s nice to see other people get the attention for a change. It’s not like there’s even much more we can say on the subject. Caroline, Jodi, and Marnie already grilled us for information before the dance and I think it’s safe to say the word has spread by now. We answered every basic question and luckily managed to skip the uncomfortable ones.”

“Caroline never did have any tact,” Robin scoffed. “What kinds of questions did she ask?”

“Mostly the basics,” May answered. She held up a hand and started ticking each question off on her fingers. “When am I due? Am I excited, scared, or nervous? How am I feeling? Am I craving anything? Do we know if it’s a boy or girl? Has Harvey delivered a baby before? Oh, and let’s not forget my favorite, was this planned or unplanned?”

Maru did a double-take as she stared at May in disbelief and Robin burst out laughing so hard she snorted. When Robin’s laughter finally calmed down, she looked at May apologetically and shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I know that’s not funny, but  _ wow  _ is that inappropriate,” Robin remarked in amusement. “Whatever happened to normal stuff like asking how far along someone is or if they have names picked out?”

“Funny enough, that wasn’t one of the questions she asked,” May pointed out.

“Oh Yoba, that’s one of the  _ first  _ things you ask,” Robin sighed.

“And yet I’ll point out that you’ve  _ still  _ never asked me,” May replied, smiling cryptically. “I have a feeling you might like one of them. You too, Maru.”

“Ooh, now you have my attention, Kitten,” Robin said excitedly, leaning forward in her seat to listen better. Maru did the same.

Harvey and May exchanged brief, knowing glances as though wordlessly checking in with the other before divulging this information. After a small nod from each of them, they turned back to Robin and Maru.

“Well, if it’s a boy we were thinking Milo Robert,” May began. “The Robert part, of course, after his Honorary Grandma Robin.”

Robin immediately squealed in excitement, though Harvey held up a hand and continued.

“But if it’s a girl,” Harvey added before Robin could get too excited, “we were thinking Daisy Marie.”

“Well that doesn’t sound anything at all like ‘Robin’,” Robin pointed out as her expression fell.

“It would be ‘Marie’ after her Honorary Auntie Maru,” Harvey remarked, nodding in Maru’s direction. Now it was Maru’s turn to get choked up.

“No way,” Maru uttered under her breath, her eyes misting as she smiled with glee.

“We can’t think of any finer people to name our child after except our honorary family,” May added. “With Harvey not having a family and mine so far away, I’d like to think you’re the closest thing we’ve got.”

“I swear to you, Kitten, if you’re gonna get sappy with me every single time we see each other, I’m gonna have to let you go,” Robin said jokingly, though she was sniffing rapidly to ward off any crying. “I know your hormones are all over the place and that’s made you all emotional and weepy, but don’t you dare drag me down with you. I’m not normally a cryer and Yoba help me, I don’t wanna be. I’m a cold, heartless old lady and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“You’ve got a bigger heart than you’d like to think,” May teased. “You may want everyone else to think you’re a heartless old lady but I’ve figured you out, you big softee.”

“Don’t tell anyone else my secret, they’ll never let me live it down,” Robin replied, winking playfully. Her eyes suddenly perked up and she snapped in realization. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you, if it’s alright with you I’ll be starting on  _ Milo Robert’s _ nursery some time during the first week of summer.” Robin was sure to place extra emphasis on the name. Maru rolled her eyes.

“Yes,  _ Daisy Marie  _ is going to have a beautiful nursery,” Maru chimed in, narrowing her eyes at her mother as she over-pronounced the name as well. While Robin and Maru glared at each other, May and Harvey exchanged a quick glance and shook their heads in amusement. It was never lost on May how funny it was that her best friend and Harvey’s best friend were mother and daughter. It was an odd sort of friendship dynamic they had.

“That sounds perfect,” May agreed, speaking up to break up the overblown tension between the two. “Harvey will be away a lot the first two weeks of summer between a medical convention and some training at the hospital in Zuzu City. It’ll be nice to have some company.”

“ _ Someone’s _ gotta be the man of the house, might as well be me,” Robin teased. She turned to Harvey and became playfully serious. “Your wife and unborn child are in good hands with me.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Harvey laughed in response.

“The clinic, too!” Maru piped in. “I’ll whip your temporary replacement into shape, don’t you worry, Doc.”

“I don’t doubt that either,” Harvey replied kindly. “It won’t be long, just a little over a week if you add it all up. Two weeks if you throw in our… what was it that you called it, Robin?”

“Babymoon,” Robin replied, causing Maru to burst into a fit of giggles. “Like a honeymoon, but for a baby.”

“Ah, yes, babymoon,” Harvey said, nearly laughing himself at the absurdity of it.

“Every couple needs a babymoon before their first baby,” Robin said seriously. “It’s your last chance to spend time together alone before the baby comes and enjoy being just the two of you before it becomes the three of you. Take a vacation, take a load off, because I promise you you’ll be glad you had it.”

“Best to just get it all done in summer when Harvey’s already taking so much time away from the clinic,” May reasoned. “As long as you and Demetrius don’t mind tending to the crops again while I’m gone. Thankfully for me it’ll only be a few days, Harvey will be gone much longer.”

“Anything for you, Kitten,” Robin replied with a friendly wink. “You and Doctor Boyfriend here deserve a quality babymoon but the later you put it off, the more miserable it is because you’ll be too huge and uncomfortable to enjoy it. We’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”

“You really  _ are  _ a big softee,” May teased.

It wasn’t much longer until the Flower Dance truly kicked off and the villagers of town finally started to dance. Demetrius had ended his conversation with Willy and whisked Robin away to the dance floor. The crowd surrounding Elliott and Leah had finally broken up, allowing the couple to enjoy their time together dancing among many other younger couples in town. May watched Sandy and Emily having a wonderful time, they both looked incredibly giddy to be dancing together. Harvey and May danced a few dances together, but not too terribly many. Harvey wasn’t exactly comfortable on the dance floor and even May had to admit that she wasn’t too keen on dancing either. It was nice to be with Harvey, but it was much more enjoyable to sit with him on the bench by the river to just talk or observe the crowd. The few times they were asked why they weren’t dancing, May used her pregnancy as an excuse and claimed that she was feeling woozy or that her feet were hurting. Already her pregnancy was proving to be quite beneficial to get her out of unwanted festivities.

Over the course of the next couple hours, May and Harvey had been approached a few times by friends and neighbors curious to ask about the baby, but luckily they had far more tact than Caroline and asked only appropriate and basic questions. May probably answered the question ‘when are you due’ at least a dozen times, but she supposed she couldn’t blame the town’s excitement over a new baby. It was a momentous occurrence for Pelican Town seeing as the last new baby the town had seen was Vincent who was now 7 years old.

By the time the Flower Dance was formally over, most of the town looked exhausted. Though May and Harvey stayed sitting down through most of the event, many villagers did not and it was clear who spent most of their time on the dance floor and who did not. Robin and Demetrius looked like they were about to pass out, though they appeared to have had a good time together. May wondered if they would stop by to say goodbye before leaving, but Robin looked far too exhausted to linger even a minute longer. Robin, Demetrius, and Maru headed straight for the exit as soon as the final song played and May figured they were eager to get home quickly. With most of the town already headed for the exit, May and Harvey rose from their bench to head home as well. As they started walking towards the exit, Harvey placed a hand on May’s shoulder to catch her attention.

“I want to be sure to talk to Elliott and Leah before we go,” Harvey remarked, tossing his head in the direction of the newly engaged couple who were already crossing the field to leave.

It was one of the rare few times May had seen Elliott and Leah on their own, unbothered by others. Her heart went out to them, May knew firsthand just how overwhelming it could be to have a mob of excited friends and neighbors pestering you for information. It wasn’t too different from how her own day was going with the news of the baby. Of course she wanted to offer her congratulations, but she wondered if maybe they were sick of hearing the word. May certainly was, but it would seem rude to leave without speaking to them. Harvey and May crossed the field hand in hand to meet up with Elliott and Leah, who turned to greet them with warm, welcoming smiles.

“Elliott! Leah!” Harvey greeted them cheerfully. “Glad we caught you before you left.”

“I could say the same,” Elliott replied. “I’ve been trying all day to make it over to you to offer my congratulations, but either we’ve been caught up in conversation or you have.”

“It’s a busy day for congratulations,” Harvey remarked. “Though that being said, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this today, but congratulations!”

“Likewise,” Elliott replied, holding out a hand for a handshake. “I feel terrible about how we robbed you of the spotlight on the day of your big announcement. I almost held off on the proposal to avoid overshadowing the two of you, I hope you don’t feel I was trying to take attention away from your big news. That was absolutely not my intention.”

“No, actually, it was quite welcome if I’m being honest,” Harvey admitted. “I’m glad you didn’t put off your proposal just for us, I’d have felt terrible. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thank you, Harvey,” Elliott said kindly. “We’re happy for you as well. What an exciting announcement, a new baby in Pelican Town. I’d ask the standard questions, but I will assume you’ve answered them a dozen times by now.”

“I’m due mid-fall, we don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet, yes Harvey has delivered babies before, no we’re not using another doctor, and we are simultaneously scared, nervous, excited, and overjoyed,” May rattled off quickly. Elliott and Leah chuckled in amusement.

“Our turn,” Leah replied. “We haven’t set a date yet because we literally just got engaged today, yes this is a real Mermaid’s Pendant, no I had no idea that Elliott was going to propose, we have no clue whose house we’ll live in yet because again… this  _ just  _ happened today!”

“Ouch,” May replied sympathetically. “Sounds like you two have been through the ringer as well.”

“I love and appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm, but yikes a little breathing room would be nice,” Leah said wistfully.

“Right?!” May replied loudly, unable to hold back her impassioned response. “Especially in your case, this only just happened this afternoon, you two haven’t even had a moment to discuss anything yet.”

“I have a feeling the next week is going to be interesting,” Leah sighed, already looking weary.

“Unfortunately, I can say from experience that it will be,” May replied sympathetically. “Best thing to do is stay home as much as you can. Turn off your phone and just focus on the two of you for a bit. This is  _ your  _ moment, nobody else’s. Don’t let the town’s over-enthusiasm stand in the way of your enjoyment and peace of mind. You’re engaged now. Enjoy that, soak it all in, you two deserve to bask in that for a bit.”

“Excellent advice, May,” Elliott replied cordially. “But of course the same can be said for you. You’re expecting a child, this is a wondrous and joyful event in your lives. Enjoy every moment of it.”

“We intend to,” Harvey replied with a nod.

May glanced across the field and noticed that by now, most of the town had already left to head home. The only ones left were Caroline and Pierre who were packing up the souvenir stand, Gus and Emily packing up the food tables, and Mayor Lewis who seemed to be staring at Harvey, May, Elliott, and Leah as they spoke. Though he wasn’t voicing it, he seemed to be eager for them to join the rest of the town in leaving the Flower Dance.

“I think we might have to finish this conversation another time,” May remarked. “Everyone else has left, we should probably head home.”

“We’ll talk more at the next book club,” Elliott replied, looking to Harvey with a nod. “Until then, may I offer one final congratulations. To the both of you, of course.”

“To you as well,” Harvey replied cheerfully.

The two couples left the field and parted ways once Harvey and May reached the golf cart. At first May felt guilty that they couldn’t offer the two of them a ride, yet watching Elliott and Leah cross the forest together, hand in hand, talking to each other for what was probably their first moment alone since becoming engaged, was all the proof May needed that they would be just fine. The long walk home with just the two of them in peace and quiet was probably very welcome at the moment.

“I’m so happy for them,” May repeated once Elliott and Leah were out of earshot. “They make such a cute couple, I think they complement each other well.”

“I think so too,” Harvey agreed. “I’ll be interested to talk to Elliott a little more candidly at the next book club. I would hope they aren’t already married by then, but hey, we got married in three days so it’s not unheard of.”

“I can’t imagine  _ everyone  _ in town is as crazy as we are, sweetheart,” May chuckled. “But you’ll have to report back to me with what Elliott says.”

“Expecting me to gossip, are you?” Harvey asked with a cheeky grin. “Are you forgetting I’m the  _ last  _ person in town in a position to gossip?”

“It’s not doctor/patient confidentiality if it’s book club,” May replied, returning Harvey’s grin. “There’s not much you  _ can  _ give me, you gotta at least give me updates on your friend.”

Harvey faltered for a moment when May said ‘friend’, it was endearing to see how pleasantly taken aback he was by the term. By this point, he and Elliott could definitely be considered friends from the many book club meetings spent together and how often Harvey spoke positively about their interactions together. Yet it seemed like Harvey hadn’t actually put two and two together to realize that his weekly participation in the book club was, in fact, making him friends with other residents in town besides Maru. When this realization struck, Harvey sat back against the seat of the golf cart and smiled.

“Well then, at the next book club I shall have to ask Elliott a bit more about his engagement,” Harvey said, a bit more giddy and upbeat than perhaps he had intended.

“Or maybe we could invite them to dinner some night,” May added. “I love being friends with Robin and Demetrius, Robin will  _ always  _ be my best friend, but I’ll admit I miss having friends a bit more… in my age range. I know that sounds awful, but it’s hard to relate to Robin when I’m newly married and expecting a baby while she’s been married for decades, her children are grown, and she’s hoping for grandchildren. It might be nice to have Elliott and Leah over to connect with a couple that’s at a similar place in their life.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, honey,” Harvey replied sweetly. “That doesn’t mean we stop being friends with Robin and Demetrius, we’re just expanding our social circle, that’s all.”

“Never thought I’d hear you being a proponent for expanding our social circle,” May teased. “But I agree, it’ll be nice to have someone in the same station in life as us. Plus, you and Elliott already get along so well, it’ll be nice for me to get to know Leah.”

“I’ll bring it up to Elliott at the next book club meeting,” Harvey offered.

Harvey and May spent the majority of the ride back home talking about the Flower Dance, Elliott and Leah’s engagement, and the town’s reaction in general to the big news that hit Pelican Town that day. It was odd to compare this year’s Flower Dance to the year before, already so much was different and the way things were headed, it was only the beginning. Big changes were happening in Pelican Town.

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s Chapter 1! I started writing it over a year ago, took me long enough to actually get it posted. XD Since the start of the pandemic, my free time/motivation has been MUCH harder to come by. I’m hoping to update once a month, I think that’s a reasonable timeline for me. As always, thank you again for reading my story.


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